Teddy's Letter
by DewNymph
Summary: A mother's last words to her only son.
1. Chapter 1

Edward Lupin is ten years old and his grandmother is at the shops. Edward Lupin is bored. He goes to his grandmother's bedroom to look in the big mirror. He screws up his face and his hair changes colour, from green to blue, blue to red, red to silver. Now he was bored again. He concentrated hard on the bottle of perfume on the dresser, determined to make it do something, anything. When it refused, he poked it. When it did nothing, he poked it harder. It did something. It fell off the dresser and smashed on the floor.

"Ooops," he said grinning.

He jumped up on the bed with his shoes on. A silent act of rebellion at being forced to polish them that morning. He bounced and bounced til he was out of breath, then hopped onto the floor. Pleased with his smooth landing, he failed to notice the corner of the rug and crashed into the wardrobe.

"OOoooooow," he whined, rubbing his forehead. He looked around, made sure he was still alone and kicked the wardrobe from where he sat, then rubbed his toe. He folded his arms, and sulked. He thought about going back downstairs before his grandmother came home, she wouldn't be that long, they were meant to be going to see his godfather's new baby today. As he went to stand up, a panel on the front of the wardrobe fell open. Ted looked around again, knowing full well he was probably not meant to see whatever was inside. Certain he was still alone, he reached inside and pulled out a small square biscuit tin. He opened it slowly and gasped at the treasures inside.

There was a small Gringotts key, a school portrait of a smiley Slytherin with purple dreadlocks, a wedding photo, a lock of pink hair wrapped in a hanky, two broken wands and a letter.

He picked up the portrait, mesmerised by the changing shade of purple hair. Ted knew it to be his young mother, about fifteen years old. He knew it was her, Ted had often spent hours looking at the one photograph his grandmother kept above the mantel piece. She grinned ear to ear, but he could see there was a hint of sadness in her grey eyes. He wanted to know why she was sad, but he couldn't ask her. He wanted to hug her, to make it better but he couldn't. He let out a sigh and put the photo back in the tin. At least she was happy in the wedding photo. Happy was actually an understatement, she looked positively radiant while the older man holding her arm looked more smug, gazing at his bride. Teddy smiled too. Next he looked at the letter. There was bright pink wax on the back, sealed with an intertwined 'L' and 'T'. The message on the front read:

_For our son_

_Edward Remus Lupin_

_to understand when he is ready_

It was a letter from his parents, a letter for him and his grandmother had hidden it from him. Ted had never even seen a picture of his father, he'd asked his grandmother but she never had any. He tore at the envelope wanting to know it's secrets, what he needed to hear. He had a right to know. To his frustration, the paper wouldn't tear. He gave up and put it back in the tin, his grandmother must have charmed it shut. Ted didn't think she liked his dad when he was alive, but she never said it. It was the way she spat his name and avoided talking about anything to do with his parents. He had tried asking his godfather once before, he seemed happy to talk about them but was quickly hushed up by Andromeda. He didn't have any photos either, which seemed to upset Harry a great deal. But why hadn't she told him about these things? Why did she stop him talking to the people who knew his parents? He could feel the anger bubbling through him, his hair turned red and the vase on the window sill shattered. He looked back to the tin in front of him, turning to the wands. One was pinkish rosewood, only the handle remained. The other was dull greyish birch wood, it was in two pieces only attached by a silvery strand of hair. His parents wands. The burning anger turned to sorrow as he realised they both must have died holding them. He jumped up as the front door slammed shut. Ted panicked. He stuffed the wand pieces into his pocket before hastily shoving the rest back in its secret compartment. He creeped quietly to his room, hoping she wouldn't notice the smashed objects until later. He hid the wands under his pillow, forced a smile onto his face and hopped down the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

Edward Lupin is nineteen years old and is cleaning the front door. It's the third lot of irremovable graffiti that month. Magic was useless getting rid of it, but Ted had found old fashioned elbow grease worked eventually. His sleeves were rolled up as he dunked his sponge into the soapy water, showing the wolf tattooed on his left forearm. He scrubbed at the large K that remained. When it was finally gone, he went back inside.

"Will you be stopping here for dinner or are you going to the Potter's?" Ted's grandmother asked from her chair.

"The kids go back tomorrow, I won't get in the way."

"Good good."

"Think I'll just go to the pub." Ted grabbed his blue cloak and headed for the door again. "Don't wait up gran."

As he closed the front door and wandered up the street. He wasn't convinced he should go to the pub after what had happened last week, it wasn't his fault someone smashed three beer glasses on his head but all the same he didn't think he'd be welcomed with open arms. He didn't want to intrude on the Potters or the Weasleys more than he already did, but he just couldn't spend another evening in his grandmother's house. She wouldn't let a television, a radio or anything vaguely fun near her house, which made the place eerily quiet. Especially since she never said a word to him that wasn't entirely necessary. Ted would probably spend all night wandering around London. He sometimes hung around in in the muggle alternative areas, places like Camden market, where no-one knew what he was and no-one cared. There was probably a gig on somewhere, but the last time he'd been in the Dublin Castle he forgot where he was and changed his hair. Not in full view, but people had seen and given him some funny looks. He was used to that.

He walked past the tube station, the half moon reflecting in his yellow eyes. He rummaged in his pockets, pulling out a piece of toffee and a small mp3 player. Harry had once given him some of the music his parents loved, everything from swing to classic punk. There was even some of his grandfather's folk in there. He could imagine them singing along or attempting to dance. It was his only link to his parents and he had accepted the lyrics may be the only thing they would ever share. He loved every track, but music was a rare luxury in the Tonks household. Andromeda refused to let him play anything out loud. Ted had often thought of his mother, sitting in the room that was once hers, being shouted at as he was for playing music.

He looked at the tiny screen. Battery low. Damn.

He walked through the streets of London in silence. There were still a few areas that had yet to be rebuilt since the war. Mostly in the poor areas of East London, but some buildings remained wrecked as memorials to the families that died there. He wondered which were muggles and which were wizards, then wondered what it mattered. In death they were all the same.

Ted walked his usual route without even noticing. He strode through the back streets of Camden to his mother's old flat and looked up at the kitchen window as his father once had. But he did not see his mother, he saw a middle aged muggle woman making a cup of tea. Teddy wondered if that's what his mother would look like if she were here now. He doubted it, unless she'd gotten boring.

Next he walked to the Troll's Head, a pub where Arthur had once told him was a favourite of his mother's. He peered in the door. People, muggles and wizards side by side, drinking and laughing. He thought his mum would have been a fun drunk and he could see why she liked this place. Here there was nothing to be judged by, everyone was different and yet no-one seemed to notice. Teddy turned his mousey brown 'at home' hair to a nice red faux-hawk and wandered up to the bar. He waved at the muggle bartender who swaggered over, as much as one can swagger with a limp.

"I don't suppose you worked here about twenty years ago?" Teddy ventured.

The man laughed. "No mate, how old do you reckon I am?"

"Sorry."

"Me ole mam worked the bar then though, family business see. Can I get you something?" He asked. "I'll see if me mam'll come down if you like."

"Um thanks, yeah, sorry, I'll have a perry."

"I bet you're a child of the war eh?" The bartender asked as he poured out the drink. Teddy nodded. "I thought so, we get a lot of teens in here, war orphans and such. Some looking for their parents, some looking for themselves, all looking for answers."

"There are that many?" Ted sipped the cool alcohol.

"Oh yeah, this place used to be a hangout for the rebellion. All the muggle-borns and half-bloods drank here. Hey even the Order of the Phoenix got merry within these three walls mam says."

"Three?"

"Yea, that one there fell down a few years back," he chuckled. "Cowboy builders. We've had some proper heroes in here, got some of their photos up in the pool room. That was a kid's idea, his dad ran off before he was born but his mum was a muggle activist. She was helping muggle-borns out of the country but they got hold of her. Poor lad was only two when she died, never got a funeral cause they never found the body. So when he was old enough to understand he wanted a memorial, then found out he wasn't the only one."

"Wow." He said, half to himself. "Can I see them?"

"Sure, it's just through that door." The man pointed. "Out of interest, who were your parents?"

"Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks."

"Seriously? The wand-crossed lovers?" He was in awe.

"The who?"

"You've never heard their nickname? Posthumous obviously. Theirs is a tale of heroism, romance and tragedy. They had a bust up in here once, me da saw the whole thing. He said they'd the perfect couple if only they'd get on with it. I guess you're proof they did in the end."

Ted smiled weakly and gulped down the rest of his perry. He walked through the door to the pool room, his eyes widening. Two walls were so full of photographs he could barely see the garish wallpaper. He looked at each one in turn. Some were group shots, all smiling. There were several couples and more family portraits than he'd expected. Some he faintly recognised from his brief knowledge of Hogwarts: A Modern History. Dumbledore was the obvious one but he was surprised the picture was so small next to the others. He would have thought it'd take pride of place but then he supposed one sacrifice was as meaningful as the next in war.

He felt very strange in the presence of all the heroes. It was a mixture of admiration, guilt and sympathy for those they had left behind. He was also left with a peculiar feeling of envy, that even a bartender knew more about his parents than he did, and while the knew information did mean he knew them a little better Teddy was no closer to them. For the first time in his life he not only felt their absence, he also longed to be with them.

That's enough misery for one night he thought, and decided to head home. The bartender shouted after him as he headed for the street.

"We've been wanting to put your folks on the wall for years you know, we'd be honoured if you'd let us."

"I'm sorry, I don't have any pictures."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Ted/Teddy is short for Edward btw guys. enjoy

Andromeda opened the small biscuit tin like she did every morning. She had known for nine years that Ted had taken his parents wands, but she had never mentioned it. The thought of explaining why she had hidden the objects was just too much. Even nineteen years on, the deaths of her husband and daughter still weighed heavily on her heart. But with Teddy to look after, she had never had a chance to grieve. As long as he was her responsibility, she could not let go. As she looked through the tin's contents, she breathed a sigh of relief. Tonks' spell on the letter had been triggered. It was time.

She found Teddy sitting in the garden reading his battered copy of _"Magical Law Enforcement: The Do's And Don'ts Of Memory Alteration". _

"I think it's time you had this dear." Andromeda handed him a letter, smiled sadly and went back inside.

He put down his book and stared at the envelope. The writing on the front had changed since he first saw it nine years ago, but he knew it was the same letter.

_For our son_

_Edward Remus Lupin_

_so that he might know the price of freedom_

He pulled feebly at the pink sealing wax, not expecting it to break as easily as it did. He unfolded the letter carefully. The writing inside was purple, the handwriting was small and round, the 'I's were dotted with little circles. He had never seen his mother's writing before. He'd never even thought about it before now but it made him feel like he knew her a little. He saw the little splats of bled ink, long since dried. She was crying as she wrote it. Ted took a deep breath and began to read.

_Dear Teddy,_

_If you are reading this letter it means that we are gone. I'm sorry we couldn't be a family, but our deaths were worth it if the world is now at peace and you are safe. We put you in the capable hands of your grandmother and I am sure she is doing a wonderful job of bringing you up, but she is not the most talkative witch in the world and we wanted you to know us even though we will never know you._

_Your grandmother I'm sure, has told you what your father and I were, and I'm sure she has said little else. You must understand it is painful for her to remember, most of her family, your grandfather Ted who we named you after, and of course your father and I all died in the war with Voldemort. Although I know she will love you as her own, you are a symbol of what she has lost. For Remus and I, you are a symbol of what we fought for._

_You will know by now that you father was a werewolf, and unless you have grown out of it by now, every full moon you will think of him. Your father was a brave man and a good man, even if he did not show it to the outside world. He had been an outcast most of his life because of what he was, and I hope very much that times are changing. When I met your father properly for the first time, I knew we would be together. It wasn't easy though, he was a very stubborn man as well. He was convinced that he was bad for me, too old, too poor, too...growly. He refused to accept that someone could care for him despite his condition. He pushed me away and for over a year, thinking it he was protecting me. All he did was crush me. I became ill with the stress of it all, the war at work and with the Order, your 3rd cousin Sirius' death and then Remus. It came to a point where I could no longer morph. I hope you never face that. It took another tragedy for him to realise what he was doing. We married the summer of Dumbledore's death, which I'm sure you will have read about at school. Those were dark days Teddy. During those summer nights we held each other so tight we bruised, not knowing if we would both be alive the next morning._

_We did our bit, me and your father. It might sound heroic. It was not. Our friends were dying, people disappeared every day. We knew one day it would be our turn, so we fought and we waited. As the ministry fell, we knew it wouldn't be long. Just a few days later the dark clouds parted for us, we were bringing a new life into the world we were trying to save. You gave us a surge of hope, from that moment on, we did it all for you. Now of course, with a child to worry about, I stopped throwing myself into danger. I would soon have to go into hiding, like my father had done, but when he was found and killed we knew it would not be easy. Ordinarily I could have easily escaped detection, but because of you I could not morph safely. My mother, though she disapproved of our marriage like so many others, managed to hide me until you were born._

_We had worried that you would have inherited your father's condition, you were after all born on the full moon. But our fears were laid to rest as it became clear you had inherited a little from both of us. There may be other werewolves, and occasionally other metamorphmagi, but my dear Teddy, there will never be another like you. Don't be ashamed of your differences, like your father was made to. Celebrate who you are, shout it out to the world and people will judge you for it, but it will make you a better person than they will ever be._

_Teddy, I hope you will never read this. I hope that in a few hours time your father and I will be back home to tuck you into bed and this war is over, but I have to say optimism isn't my strong point. Your father left for Hogwarts an hour ago. He didn't tell me, wanted me to stay here with you and maybe he was right. But I fear for his life, it may already be too late but I have to follow my husband. I'm a soldier by nature, maybe I was never meant to be anyone's mother, but I've done the best I could. The few months we've had with you have been the best and the worst of my life, knowing I could lose you. I will cherish the time we had, and wherever we are now, know that we are with you still, watching over you, waiting to hold our baby boy again. Don't let that happen too soon. We had little wealth, with us both being out of work for some time before you were born so we left you a few items of ours instead, things that meant alot to us both. Everything is in the Lupin family vault at Gringotts, your grandmother has the key._

_I hope the world you live in is a better place than the one we knew. I hope you know the Weasley's as family, and that Harry, if he made it, is a good godfather to you. I hope you live your life to the full, seeing every day with new eyes. Seize every opportunity, take every risk. Oh, and if you fancy someone, tell them, snog them, don't waste time brooding like your father. And if you do have children, for the love of Merlin, do not name any Nymphadora._

_Enjoy the world we made for you son, but appreciate what it cost. Knowing I will never get to hear your first word, steady your first step, clear up after your first spell, is the most painful thing I could ever experience. Voldemort has no power over us now._

_For now my Teddy, this is good-bye._

_With you always,_

_Mum"_


	4. Chapter 4

Ted looked up from the page and took a deep breath. Some of his own tears had mingled with his mothers on the page. He screwed up his face, his turquoise spiky hair turned bubble gum pink, with silvery grey streaks. He folded the letter up carefully and placed it inside his breast pocket, near to his heart, thinking of his mother's words. _"Seize every opportunity, take every risk. Oh, and if you fancy someone, tell them, snog them"._

She was right. He looked at his watch. Ten thirty, he didn't have long. Running through the house, he shoved on his boots, not bothering to do them up.

"Where are you going at this hour dear?" Andromeda looked up from her knitting. "Don't you have training today?"

"Um, yea, I'll pull a sickie," he said. "There's something I have to do first."

With that he left, knocking over the umbrella stand as he did so. Andromeda shook her head.

"How is that lad ever going to make an Auror." She glanced up at the picture of her daughter on the mantel piece and sighed.

The Hogwarts Express was already puffing smoke by the time Ted arrived at King's Cross. He scanned the sea of faces, young and old, looking for the one he loved. He hoped he hadn't missed her, it would be months before he'd see her again. He ran up the platform, through the steam. He tripped over s trunk and landed at the feet of the one he sought. She gave him a funny look. Oh yes, very suave, Ted thought, scrambling to his feet.

"Victoire," he panted catching his breath. She looked even more beautiful than the last time he saw her.

"Teddy Lupin what are you doing here?"

"Taking a risk."

Before she could ask him what on earth he was talking about, he scooped her petite frame up in his arms and kissed her like he'd always wanted to. They were rudely interrupted as a small child began to make squealing noises. They looked up to see little James Potter pointing at them gawping.

"What are you doing Teddy?"

"Seeing off your cousin. Shouldn't you be finding your seat?"

James nodded and ran off down the platform, apparently still in shock.

"Speaking of which, so should I," Victoire said. She picked up her owl cage.

"I'll see you at Christmas then," Teddy said, kissing her one last time as she stepped onto the train.

"Only one more year, it'll fly by," she winked.

He stood at the end of the platform until the train was out of sight. He looked up to the sky, imagining his parents looking down at him.

"Thanks mum."

As he ambled away from the station, Remus and Tonks watched, arm in arm. They smiled, waiting.


End file.
